Back in the day when Title 9 became law, my mom was responsible for making my high school add a girls sport because there wasn't as many girls' sports as boys sports. My high school added girls lacrosse in 1980, so I got to play for 2 years and loved it (*if you make it to the end of this blog, I have a funny Burns' girl story).
Here's a little clip on Title 9 -
"Title IX, a groundbreaking statute intended to end sex discrimination in
education, became the law of the land on June 23, 1972. While most famous for
its requirement that schools provide girls with equal athletic opportunities,
the law applies to all educational programs that receive federal funding, and to
all aspects of a school's educational system. Title IX benefits both boys and
girls and is the linchpin of 40 years of efforts to promote and establish gender
equity in schools."
I definitely agree that we should have all equal number of opportunities to play, but should we get to play everything? The following is today's story about a girl that won the state wrestling championship in the 106 lb weight class - http://entertainment.msn.com/videopreview/?channelindex=4&from=en-us_msnhpvidmod&form=msnrll#/video/c23783d4-af96-483e-a24a-c77233b51019 - I personally think the newscaster was a little degrading when he opens with notice how she is still girlie as she fluffs her hair and adjusts her outfit = ugh, 5 steps forward 20 steps back.
One of my 15 year old sons recently completed his first year of wrestling. One of his early matches was against a girl. My husband and I held our breath the whole time. If you don't have a boy, you don't know how fragile their 15 year old ego is.......it was uncomfortable. You teach your boys to not be violent towards women and then they are faced with them in the wrestling ring? There was inappropriate groping at the very least. If he had lost, I can't imagine the torture he would have had to endure from his peers.
So girls get to wrestle because there isn't wrestling for girls. Okay, so there's no volleyball for boys. Let's send out some 6'4 boys who didn't make the basketball team and see how the girls volleyball team likes it.........it goes both ways. There have been some instances of this, but not wide spread enough for it to be news worthy or I should say, "change policy" worthy. All it will take is one coach to put together a dream team with a few "ringers". They go on to beat everyone, win a championship and then what is our answer. I don't think equal is a grey area. Equal is black and white.
*Being the older, bossier and desperate for awards Burns sister, I highly suggested that the winner of the first year's lacrosse team's MVP should obviously be a senior. Join me in thanking everyone for agreeing to that philosophy, so I could eek out the award from my speedy very athletic younger sister.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Crate Training - It's not just for puppies!
I'm a huge believer in crate training a dog. Daisy (our dog) is such a better behaved family pet now that she has her own safe zone. I've pondered this concept for awhile and have decided the same concept can be/should be used for teenagers.
When the kids were little, I was all about outside playtime. It made them tired and happy and they slept well. We all know that a tired puppy is a good puppy. When they were in middle school, I still thought they needed to be outside, but I slowly realized that was a sticky predicament. Outside now meant parks with hordes of young teenagers hanging out unsupervised by adults. I still thought they were in general safe, but started to question the common sense of this "playtime". Now that they are in high school, I'm positive that the park is now not a "safe zone". Playing endless hours of C O D (Call of Duty) is the safe zone. I never thought I was going to fully support hours of video games, but it's like crate training. They're happy, warm, safe and dry and their mother has them within ear/eye shot.
"Crate Training Helps Eliminate Destructive Behavior"
"While some breeds are definitely more nervous, and therefore potentially destructive, than others, a crate offers a sense of security for your dog. Instead of acting out when they feel anxious they can retreat to their ‘den’ and seek calm."
This makes so much sense. Relate above paragraph to your teenager and I don't know about you but it was an ah ha moment for me. The thing about being a "crazy parent" (that's what my boys think of me and my suspicions) is they can blame everything on their mom being crazy, neurotic etc. I recently had a psychiatrist friend tell me yes, I was right to drug test my kids. Not because it necessarily was going to come back positive, but it gave them an out to "say no to drugs" i.e. dudes, "I can't smoke that, my mom's crazy".
What kind of crate is best? Your home or someone that thinks the same way you do. Confirm that they are home.
Crate training Dogs offers enormous benefits. It provides them a sense of security and stability and it makes the house training process significantly easier. Who doesn’t want fewer accidents? Of course you do. Dog Crate Training is a sure bet if you want to get the best results.
Well said oh mighty dog trainer - well said. Join me in providing a safe zone........ throw a little candy around, some occasional soda, pizza, don't worry about how many extras there are, don't worry about the mess, set the alarm and let the fun begin.
"Why crate train your puppy?"
"Crate training your dog provides them with a profound sense of security. Dogs naturally live in dens. Dens protect them from danger, keep them warm and dry, and help them to keep their young safe and protected."When the kids were little, I was all about outside playtime. It made them tired and happy and they slept well. We all know that a tired puppy is a good puppy. When they were in middle school, I still thought they needed to be outside, but I slowly realized that was a sticky predicament. Outside now meant parks with hordes of young teenagers hanging out unsupervised by adults. I still thought they were in general safe, but started to question the common sense of this "playtime". Now that they are in high school, I'm positive that the park is now not a "safe zone". Playing endless hours of C O D (Call of Duty) is the safe zone. I never thought I was going to fully support hours of video games, but it's like crate training. They're happy, warm, safe and dry and their mother has them within ear/eye shot.
"Crate Training Helps Eliminate Destructive Behavior"
"While some breeds are definitely more nervous, and therefore potentially destructive, than others, a crate offers a sense of security for your dog. Instead of acting out when they feel anxious they can retreat to their ‘den’ and seek calm."
This makes so much sense. Relate above paragraph to your teenager and I don't know about you but it was an ah ha moment for me. The thing about being a "crazy parent" (that's what my boys think of me and my suspicions) is they can blame everything on their mom being crazy, neurotic etc. I recently had a psychiatrist friend tell me yes, I was right to drug test my kids. Not because it necessarily was going to come back positive, but it gave them an out to "say no to drugs" i.e. dudes, "I can't smoke that, my mom's crazy".
What kind of crate is best? Your home or someone that thinks the same way you do. Confirm that they are home.
Crate training Dogs offers enormous benefits. It provides them a sense of security and stability and it makes the house training process significantly easier. Who doesn’t want fewer accidents? Of course you do. Dog Crate Training is a sure bet if you want to get the best results.
Well said oh mighty dog trainer - well said. Join me in providing a safe zone........ throw a little candy around, some occasional soda, pizza, don't worry about how many extras there are, don't worry about the mess, set the alarm and let the fun begin.
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